Woj: Raptors begin wide ranging coaching search.

[WuTang_CMB]

Kenny +360 now ..

What do they knowww?

The better question is "who is a degenerate enough gambler to put money on who the raptors hire as hear coach?".

[ItsDanger]

Should be head coach with offensive and defensive coordinator as lead assistants. For example, NHL staffs have power play coaches as specialists.

If Nash is chosen, better make sure Fred is gone or else Nash will pull his hair out watching him getting stuffed at the rim every game.

[ItsDanger]

What do they knowww?

The better question is "who is a degenerate enough gambler to put money on who the raptors hire as hear coach?".

Jerry Stackhouse looks like a solid bet at 40 to 1

[ArthurVandelay]

Another option that is less talked about is Kevin Young from the Suns. He is a guy in a holding pattern as Isbia decides on him or Nurse, based on what has been reported. This is a good little backgrounder on Young:

Watch on YouTube

Kevin Young:
-Big into offensive rebounding that was a shift for the Suns which he suggested
-Free flowing offense with next action ideas if primary option is taken away
-Almost 10 years of experience in G-League (in 2011, Young replaced Nick Nurse as head coach of the Iowa Energy)
-Assistant coach to Doc Rivers and Monty Williams


https://theathletic.com/4551012/2023/05/25/kevin-young-suns-head-coach/?amp=1

He isn't a flashy hirer, but he has a long coaching resume and is well-respected at the Suns to be a HC finalist.

Yeah Raps could be waiting for Phoenix to hire. If Jordi, then young. If Young, then Jordi.

Or could be Adelman or Quinn.

Or Sergio.

If I keep throwing names then I can say, “See! I told ya!”

I think in the end it is Sergio for Toronto. I also think the Suns go with Young. People like to have some familiarity with coaches they bring in. I just wanted to mention Young because he has this weird twinning thing with Nurse (coached in the UK, G-league for the same team, assistant coaches who probably outshined their head coaches).

Regarding the others: Redick, from the interviews I have heard with him is just putting his name out there. On one podcast he openly questioned if he is ready to coach and give up his easy-going media lifestyle because he likes to golf with his buddies. He sounded like a weak coaching candidate whose main coaching experience is coaching his kid's team.

Nash also never seemed like he even wanted to really coach and he only did so when KD and Kyrie pushed for him. I see the PR opportunity, but is Nash really a guy who wants to grind out coaching this team of non-offensive talents? Man knows little about defense.

Vogel and Atkinson are just NBA retreads who are smart but nothing special. Sergio gets some extra juice for me because of his Eurobasket title and his constant winning. We were lucky to have such a talented assistant coach. He seems to be the most qualified and a coach who is innovative and gets everything out of his teams. Masai always talks about winning, and he would be the biggest winner.

I’d be ok with Atkinson. He did some good things before Brooklyn changed direction with KD and Irving. But he wouldn’t be my preferred pick.

[Tofubeque]

Atkinson gaining steam. Could be that the final list leaked and people laying $ on him thinking he'll beat out

Or they just bumped the odds of whoever was left from the Bucks list. If they hired Atkinson it would probably be Griffin +300

[tanuki1031]

Call me crazy - I now believe it's Nash. I think Redick joins him

I think they want out of box, connectivity with players

I kind of think so too. I am of the belief that the FO is prioritizing a coach who will coach more on the side of rediscovering the love of basketball and playing it properly with the guys you're in the trenches with rather than specific XOs and schemes that require some semblance of skill and experience to carry out.

We all watched the games last year and the distaste for the basketball taking place is likely a direct reflection of how the players themselves felt on the floor. Guys were consistently miserable on the court and on the benches.

This goes on top of Nash's record as a chemistry/leader/passer/shooter guru and Redick's as a shooter/winner (no chip but only missed the playoffs once in his NBA career).

We need good vibes.

[WuTang_CMB]

Atkinson gaining steam. Could be that the final list leaked and people laying $ on him thinking he'll beat out

Or they just bumped the odds of whoever was left from the Bucks list. If they hired Atkinson it would probably be Griffin +300

Could be but nothing changed until now. Griffin announcement was on Saturday. This stuff changes fast usually

[goinrogue]

Meh think this is just cause he was runner up for the bucks job. I still think it’s Jordi

[ATLTimekeeper]

You're not really paying attention to what I'm saying. I'm not suggesting Scottie run PNRs, I'm saying we should figure out how to maximize his strengths and the strengths of others. PNRs are utilized for its advantage creation. It's not mandatory. If you don't have people who can run it well. Then don't. Fred isn't proficient enough to lament his loss because of the PNR. The offense isn't good anyways. Denver, Sacramento, and GSW used the least pNRs this year... Do have a problem with their offense?

It's absolutely mandatory. I don't think you understand a pretty basic truth here: the PnR is the staple of every single NBA offense. Some use it more than others, but it's still more frequently used than any other type of offensive initiator in the half court. So Denver, Sacramento and GSW are still using PnR more than any other play. So what Los was saying is accurate, if you lose Fred his function on offense as a ballhandler has to be replaced. That's typically "the PG" whether that looks like Chris Paul, Steph Curry, Jamal Murray or DeMar DeRozan, that's the guy with the ball running pick and rolls.

It's not all speed. Pace, change of speed, change of direction, etc. Do I really need to explain further? Dowtin has got a bit of herky jerky. I want to see him get an opportunity. I think you're actually oversimplifying things. It's about leveraging creation opportunities.

Herky jerky doesn't get guarded tightly without a jump shot. They just back up and dare him to shoot over length.

Also, I didn't know Gabe was a PG but I could describe his game to you..... What matters more — knowing what a player does on the court or knowing the position they're labelled with?

So you knew he did PG things on the court, but didn't know he was a PG. Okay.

[KL78192020]

So Rockets, Bucks and Sixers have hired, Masai still evaluating I guess.

[OakleyDokely]

So Rockets, Bucks and Sixers have hired, Masai still evaluating I guess.

DET and PHX still evaluating as well.

[mtcan]

Would it be weird if the Raptors end up hiring Doc Rivers?

[Ackshun]

Would it be weird if the Raptors end up hiring Doc Rivers?

Packing my bags. Someone drive me to the airport

[Ackshun]

I actually don’t give a flying **** who coaches next year, as long as I don’t have to watch Fred Van Vleet.

[WuTang_CMB]

I actually don’t give a flying **** who coaches next year, as long as I don’t have to watch Fred Van Vleet.

[Dalek]

I actually don’t give a flying **** who coaches next year, as long as I don’t have to watch Fred Van Vleet.

I would be happy for that outcome. I do think Fred for D'Angelo Russell in a double S+T now makes sense since Nurse is no longer in the Suns plans. Lakers/Klutch would love to have Fred, and Russell is someone we have been linked to and makes good sense because we need the scoring.

D'Angelo Russell has been part of such an exchange before, when he came to the Golden State Warriors in a double S-and-T for Kevin Durant. If all parties involved agree and find ways to make the money work, Russell could wind up in Toronto, giving the Raptors the conventional pick-and-roll operator they've long lacked.

He won't match FVV's defensive intensity, and the Lakers' worry that they might "lose" him if they removed him from the first unit, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, belies some level of selfishness on Russell's part. But Toronto can surround D-Lo with four excellent defenders who'd benefit from his individual scoring and playmaking.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10075105-1-ambitious-free-agent-target-for-every-nba-team

Kenny Atkinson obviously knows Russell well from Brooklyn times, so it could work out that way.

[Dalek]

It is low key weird to see the latest coaching hires being Nick Nurse and Adrian Griffin. It is an end of era for Toronto.

[will]

Evaluating for what?

[mihaic]

It is low key weird to see the latest coaching hires being Nick Nurse and Adrian Griffin. It is an end of era for Toronto.

Hopefully followed with some roster shake-up. At least 2, preferably 3 of fvv gtj og ps should go. Flynn too.

[Yallbecrazy]

I don't think anyone realizes where we would have been without Fred last year. He had a down year in a system that didn't suit him and was still our 2nd most important player.